Can Grey High stop Paul Roos in Gqeberha?
Grey High takes on Paul Roos Gimnasium in Gqeberha this Saturday in what will be the ultimate test for the hosts before their annual Grey High Rugby Festival from 2-4 May.
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Since returning from an unbeaten tour of Ireland in December 2023, the Maroon Machine has shown no signs of slowing down.
Last weekend, they dealt a decisive 25-10 blow to Paarl Boys’ High, and they will be looking for a further boost to their substantial momentum before they travel to Kimberley to play in the Absa Wildeklawer Tournament at the beginning of May.
Gert Kemp starred in their win over Boishaai, as part of PRG’s outstanding loose trio, which also includes captain and dual SA Schools’ representative Riley Norton and big Reuben Kruger.
In Cape Town, Likona Sodlaka scored the try that helped Grey hold unbeaten Wynberg Boys’ High, who had beaten Paarl Boys’ High in Paarl in their previous game, to a 10-10 draw last weekend. On Saturday, he and the rest of the Grey forwards, especially the front row of CJ Naude, Jon Hobson and Akhanani Zita, will have a key role to play if the Paul Roos pack is to be kept at bay.
Grey has displayed real grit in their previous matches against Western Cape opposition. Apart from the draw with Wynberg Boys’ High, they bested SACS 7-3 at the Bishops 175 Festival.
A strong performance against Paul Roos would give Grey a welcome lift before their festival, but their focus will be on Saturday’s sizeable challenge before they turn their attention to their matches against St John’s College and Graeme College.
Paul Roos has asserted itself as one of the top sides in the country this season and, as one of the unbeatens, could legitimately claim to be number one. They showed just how imposing they could be at the NMI Toyota North-South Tournament, where they beat Affies 30-25 and Waterkloof, the recently crowned champions of the NWU Sport Series, 47-24.
The last time Grey High upset Paul Roos was in 2017, when LJ du Preez slotted the winning conversion after a try in the final minutes to make the score 22-20 in Grey’s favour. Before that, Curwin Bosch converted a penalty on the hooter to lift Grey to a 27-26 victory in 2014.
This year, fullback Meyer Prinsloo has been excellent with the boot for Grey and, should it come down to a kick again, he’s proven himself to be the man for the job.
His opposite number, Matthew Seymore, and the halfback duo of Joshua Dampies and Adeeb Boraine have also been exceptional this season, and they will direct the visitors’ challenge.
Grey High vs Paul Roos at 14:00
Grey High: 15 Meyer Prinsloo, 14 Zubenathi Skosana, 13 Rick Byszios, 12 Lavela Pongolo, 11 Luc de Villiers, 10 Zephyr Smith, 9 Liyema Ndlondlo, 8 Tanner Howard, 7 Blayton Ward, 6 Caylum Jansen, 5 Likona Sodlaka, 4 Steven Lee, 3 CJ Naude, 2 Jon Hobson, 1 Akhanani Zita.
Paul Roos: 15 Matthey Seymore, 14 Hugo Coetzee, 13 Matthew Kleyn, 12 Ian Smith, 11 Keenan Stoffels, 10 Joshua Dampies, 9 Adeeb Boraine, 8 Reuben Kruger, 7 Riley Norton, 6 Gert Kemp, 5 Jesse Stegehuis, 4 Charl Holwill, 3 Gerrit van Vuuren, 2 Altus Rabé, 1 Oliver Reid.
Fixtures
Kolisi field: 08:00 – Grey High u14 A vs Paul Roos u14 A; 09:10 – Grey High u15 A vs Paul Roos u15 A; 10:20 – Grey High u16 A vs Paul Roos u16 A; 11:30 – Grey High III vs Paul Roos III; 12:40 – Grey High II vs Paul Roos II; 14:00 – Grey High 1st XV vs Paul Roos 1st XV.
Pollock Oval: 08:00 – Grey High V vs Paul Roos V; 09:10 – Grey High u16 B vs Paul Roos u16 B; 10:20 – Grey High IV vs Paul Roos IV; 11:30 – Grey High u14 B vs Paul Roos u14 B; 12:40 – Grey High u15 B vs Paul Roos u15 B.
Pyott Field: 08:00 – Grey High u16 C vs Paul Roos u16 C; 09:10 – Grey High u15 D vs Paul Roos u15 D; 10:20 – Grey High u15 C vs Paul Roos u15 C; 11:30 – Grey High VI vs Paul Roos VI; 12:40 – Grey High u16 D vs Paul Roos u16 D.
Gordon Field: 08:00 – Grey High u14 E vs Paul Roos u14 E; 09:10 – Grey High u14 D vs Paul Roos u14 D; 10:20 – Grey High u14 C vs Paul Roos u14 C; 11:30 – Grey High u15 E vs Paul Roos u15 E; 12:40 – Grey High VII vs Paul Roos VII.
